Improvements
by Backroads
Summary: It wasn't that those designs were bad. But they could have been better, with a little more experience. Gobber takes a close look at just what Hiccup has built.


_So I guess I am obsessed. Yet another fic pondering what might have happened between those last two scenes._

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* * *

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"So I take it this is but one big joke to you."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that. I'm curious. Yes, curious is the better word. Forgive me if "one big joke" strikes me as just too strong a phrase."

"Gobber, you do realize that thing is a Night Fury? And that it's growling at you?"

"I realize."

Stoick gave a dark laugh. He leaned against the wall, enjoying the spectacle. "Just want to add it to your list of dragon incidents?"

"That's why I'm in charge of training, isn't it?" Gobber locked eyes with the dragon, who crouched menacingly at the foot of Hiccup's bed. "Just want to get one small look if that's not too much to ask."

"I think it is."

"Shut up." Gobber stretched his hand toward the remainder of the charred harness. The dragon still wouldn't let anyone remove it. Why the creature wanted all that twisted metal on its back was beyond him, but hey, what did he know about the mind of a dragon? Apparently nothing.

The dragon, returning the stare, shifted away. But there wasn't much to do with a bed in the way. Gobber quickly slid a hook through the stirrup. Wasn't much left of it, to be sure. The mechanics of it were good, though. No arguing with that. The tail fin had a good connection, no real complaints there. Just weak. Incredibly weak to stand up to anything involving, Odin forbid it, other dragons.

The dragon made that oh-so-familiar thunderclap of threat in its throat and made a dive at Gobber's arm.

He pulled away, pushing away the thought of giving the beast a well-deserved rap on the skull. Hiccup wouldn't like that. Not that he would need to know. "Like I actually hurt you, you big baby. Just wanted to see what the boy was up to."

"I thought it was plenty clear what Hiccup was up to," Stoick said. "What's there to see?"

"Just curious."

* * *

Gobber couldn't believe he hadn't taken a closer look at the workroom. The place was a mess. Over the past few years it had admittedly become Hiccup's territory than anything else and Gobber no longer even glanced at the odd little drawings of demented inventions poasted around. Granted, one of Hiccup's duties was to keep it a reasonable distance from chaos and even if he truthfully did have the attention span of a sparrow he had always managed that task, at least. Now it looked like some kid had made it his own private design studio. Paper everywhere, charcoal dust everywhere. All right, so Gobber's attention had been on the dragon training and maybe he had taken the advantage of Stoick leaving to be not quite so busy at blacksmithing, but he thought he had made it clear, years before, in fact, that the forge was not Hiccup's personal playground. That Hiccup was the lowly apprentice. Not in charge of anything remotely useful. So what if it happened to be an oft-lectured lesson for deaf ears?

All right, he would admit it, he should have kept a closer eye on Hiccup outside of dragon training.

He just didn't think Hiccup needed as much baby-sitting as Stoick insisted he did.

He sighed as he stared at the tiny room. What had the kid been doing in here? And with the rest of the forge? Gobber picked up some of the papers littering the floor. Hiccup's sketches. Left conveniently right by the desk. Did the kid have no appreciation of the smithy secrets? Leaving personal designs around for anyone to find.

He settled at the desk and frowned over the sketches. Yes, this entire dragon mess had been going on for quite some time. Weeks, possibly. There it was in front of him, sheet after sheet of that dragon and tail fins and stirrups.

The missing materials had been explained.

Now far be it for him to discourage Hiccup developing his talents as a blacksmith. Was that not the idea of the entire apprenticeship? Actually, if his memory served him correctly it was to keep Hiccup busy, out of harm's way, and hopefully out of trouble. But Hiccup did have a knack for it. He was enthusiastic, sometimes a little too enthusiastic, but clever and hardworking. He had the mind for it. All those little inventions over the years proved it. Sometimes annoying inventions, but still all impressive. Gobber just didn't like him making them without permission.

But still, they weren't bad. Gobber never understood why Hiccup had always been itching to kill dragons instead. He had been fine where he was. These drawings were evidence of that.

Yet Gobber just couldn't shake away the opinion Hiccup could have done a little better. At least stronger materials that wouldn't light up at the first spark of fire. Oh, the designs weren't bad, weren't bad at all. But they could be better. Probably a terrible critique to give, but Hiccup was still out cold and it wasn't like he was going to be using anytime soon that mess that was still attached to the dragon. There was still plenty of room for improvement. In Hiccup's defense, he might have been planning various future tweaks.

Only now Hiccup would be tweaking from scratch now. Stoick was not going to like that.

They could both be miserable, for all Gobber cared. The idea that had been buzzing around in his brain for the past few days had refused to leave. He picked up a stick of charcoal and took it to the papers.

That's right. One big joke. Stoick hadn't seen anything yet. Like that piece of metal and wood in the other room awaiting some proper measuring and that leg to heal a little more. The idea must have already been forming when Gobber was making that.

He rubbed out sections of Hiccup's sketches. The basic idea was good, he wouldn't deny that. Just could be better. Just needed an experienced eye. Not that he claimed to have ever even thought of harnessing and saddling a dragon. But he was well aware of the mechanics.

He began to sketch.

* * *

"No."

"And have me have wasted two days of my life?"

Stoick sighed. "I appreciate the thought. But I'm saying no."

Gobber smiled down at the new tail fin, spread out over the shop table. Stronger metal, stronger design. Red. He personally thought that was a fun color, had always liked it. "You don't like the color?"

"You know the color has absolutely nothing to do with it." He ran a hand over his face. "I can't believe you're doing this to me."

"I'm not doing a thing to you. This was my own project. It was fun and kept me away from all of your other little village projects."

"This is why you wanted to see the harness. I can't believe you made this after what happened."

"What happened was an exploding dragon and associated chaos. I'm not sure, but I imagine that's a fairly rare occurrence."

Stoick shook his head and slammed a fist against the table. "I still say no."

"I heard you. You have a head like a rock."

"He's not getting back on that dragon."

"Why not? Everyone else is. And I doubt you'll be able to stop him, looking at your track record."

"You should have kept a better eye on him in the first place. How's he even supposed to fly? That thing doesn't fly. You don't have it taking it over your home, jumping on things, knocking over things…"

"Oh, he'll fly, all right." Gobber pulled out the stirrups. "Had to do make a couple of additions to the original design, but with the right pressure the shifting shouldn't be a problem."

Stoick stared. "Hooks right in. I was wondering about your design on that foot… Gobber how long have you been planning this?"

"A while."

"You're trying to get him killed. Again."

"I didn't try to get him killed the first time. Look, we both know he'll eventually sneak back in here and try to do something stupid all over again.

Stoick silently fingered the stirrups.

"At least you can trust what I've made."

"I don't think it matters with him." Stoick sighed again and turned to the door. "You made all of this behind my back."

"So… are you still saying no?"

"You don't know what it's like to have a child that close to death."

He still worried too much.

"I'll think about it."

Gobber shrugged and closed up the tail fin. That was as probably as good an answer he was going to get. It was an improvement over "no", anyway.

He would just bring it all by the house another day.

_The End_


End file.
